WO2015009660A1 - Sorter with double runout lanes in each bullpen and method for sorting - Google Patents
Sorter with double runout lanes in each bullpen and method for sorting Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2015009660A1 WO2015009660A1 PCT/US2014/046596 US2014046596W WO2015009660A1 WO 2015009660 A1 WO2015009660 A1 WO 2015009660A1 US 2014046596 W US2014046596 W US 2014046596W WO 2015009660 A1 WO2015009660 A1 WO 2015009660A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- runout
- destinations
- lane
- articles
- lanes
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
- B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
- B07C3/00—Sorting according to destination
- B07C3/02—Apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
- B07C3/08—Apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution using arrangements of conveyors
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
- B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
- B07C3/00—Sorting according to destination
- B07C3/02—Apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
- B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
- B07C7/00—Sorting by hand only e.g. of mail
Definitions
- the invention relates generally to sorting conveyors and more particularly to postal or parcel sorters and methods for sorting.
- tray sorters to sort trays of mail by destination.
- trays are conveyed on a main conveyor 10, which is flanked on one or both sides by a number of runout lanes 12.
- Carts L1-L7, R1-R7 are lined up in a row on each side of the runout lane 12.
- Each cart will be filled with trays of mail for a specific destination.
- the runout lane 12 may be, for example, a skate-wheel conveyor tilted downward from its entrance at the main conveyor 10 to its end stop 14.
- Mail destined for the carts L1-L7 or R1-R7 is diverted from the main conveyor 10 to the runout lane 12.
- Aisles Al, A2 are formed between the runout lane and each of the rows of flanking carts.
- the configuration is known as a bullpen 16.
- An operator O assigned to the bullpen lifts each tray from the runout lane, reads its destination, and carries it to the corresponding cart. If the operator is in the left aisle when he picks up a tray destined for a cart along the right aisle A2, he has to walk around the runout lane 12 to the other aisle to deposit the tray.
- the operator doesn't know a tray's destination without first inspecting the tray's label, he has to inspect all the labels if he wants to deposit all the trays along one row before walking around the conveyor to the other aisle to deposit the remaining trays. So an operator can minimize the distance he walks by inspecting more trays, remembering which go in which row, and depositing those in one row and then the other. But that requires more handling of the trays. And because the positions of the trays on the runout lane change as trays are removed and new trays are supplied, it is difficult for an operator to remember which trays he has already inspected.
- a sorting system embodying features of the invention comprises a main conveyor for conveying articles in pairs of side-by-side left and right runout lanes. Each pair of runout lanes branches off from one side or the other of the main conveyor at branch points.
- a left set of destinations is disposed to the left of a corresponding one of the left turnout lanes.
- a left aisle is formed between the left set of destinations and the corresponding left runout lanes.
- a right set of destinations is disposed to the right of a corresponding one of the right turnout lanes.
- a right aisle is formed between the right set of destinations and the corresponding right runout lane.
- Diverters are disposed along the main conveyor at the branch points.
- a controller coupled to the diverters selectively activates the diverters to divert an article to the left or right runout lane corresponding to the destination for the article.
- a bullpen configuration for a sorter embodying features of the invention comprises first and second runout lanes receiving articles bound for different first and second destinations.
- the first and second runout lanes are adjacent and parallel to each other and have inner sides facing each other and opposite outer sides.
- the first destinations are arranged along the outer side of the first runout lane across a first aisle.
- the second destinations are arranged along the outer side of the second runout lane across the second aisle.
- the first aisle accommodates an operator transferring articles from the first runout lanes to the first destinations and the second aisle
- a method for sorting articles comprises: (a) pre- assigning destinations to each of a plurality of articles; (b) conveying the articles along a main conveyor; and (c) selectively diverting the articles from the main conveyor to a plurality of bullpens configured with a pair of side-by-side runout lanes flanked on opposite sides across aisles by a row of destinations by diverting each article to the runout lane closer to its pre-assigned destination.
- FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a bullpen portion of a conveyor embodying features of the invention.
- FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a bullpen of the prior art.
- a conveyor system embodying features of the invention is shown in FIG. 1.
- a main conveyor 10 conveys articles 18, such as mail pieces, parcels, and containers or trays of mail pieces, in a conveying direction 20.
- the main conveyor 10 may be any suitable conveyor, such as a belt conveyor, a roller conveyor, or a slat conveyor.
- Branching off from either or both sides of the main conveyor at branch points 21 are pairs of side-by-side runout lanes 22: a left lane 24 and a right lane 25.
- the two lanes 24, 25 are shown parallel to each other with their facing inner sides 26 adjacent— in this example, abutting.
- the runout lanes 24, 25 can be realized, for example, with chutes, skate-wheel conveyors, or gravity roller conveyors elevated at their infeed ends 27 and terminated in lower end stops 28.
- FIG. 1 shows only one pair of runout lanes, the main conveyor 10 has many more pairs branching off from one or both sides.
- Flanking the runout lanes 24, 25 are two sets 30, 31 of destination carts: a left set Ll- L7 and a right set R1-R7.
- the carts in each set are arranged generally in a row that is parallel to its runout lane.
- Left and right aisles Al, A2 are formed between the runout lanes 24, 25 and their corresponding rows of destination carts 30, 31.
- carts are used in this example as destinations, other destinations, such as wire baskets, hampers, pallets, and collection bins or conveyors, are possible.
- the pair of runout lanes 24, 25, the flanking sets of destinations L1-L7, R1-R7, and the intervening aisles Al, A2 form the bullpen 32.
- the aisles, which are wide enough to accommodate a human operator O, are connected through a pathway P along the ends of the runout lanes 24, 25 distal from the main conveyor 10.
- Diverters 34 at each branch point 21 selectively divert an article 18 to the left runout lane 24 or to the right runout lane 25 or pass the article along the main conveyor 10 to a downstream bullpen.
- the diverters may be swiveled-roller diverters, swinging gates, cross- belt diverters, pusher bars, or angled-roller-belt actuators, for example.
- the diverters 34 are activated by control signals 36 from a controller 38, such as a programmable controller or other computer. The controller has priori knowledge of the pre-assigned destination of each article.
- the controller 38 determines if the article is destined for one of the left destinations L1-L7. If so, the controller sends an activation control signal 36 to the diverter 34 to divert the article onto the left runout lane 24. If the article is destined for one of the right destinations R1-R7, the controller 38 signals the diverter 34 to divert the article onto the right runout lane 25. If the article is destined for a downstream destination, the diverter is deactivated, and the article passes by the branch point to the downstream destination. As the articles received on the runout lanes 24, 25 accumulate, the operator O can manually pick up and transfer all the articles on the left runout lane 24 into the
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- Non-Deflectable Wheels, Steering Of Trailers, Or Other Steering (AREA)
- Table Equipment (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US14/902,393 US20160288172A1 (en) | 2013-07-17 | 2014-07-15 | Sorter with double runout lanes in each bullpen and method for sorting |
CA2916894A CA2916894A1 (en) | 2013-07-17 | 2014-07-15 | Sorter with double runout lanes in each bullpen and method for sorting |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US201361847144P | 2013-07-17 | 2013-07-17 | |
US61/847,144 | 2013-07-17 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2015009660A1 true WO2015009660A1 (en) | 2015-01-22 |
Family
ID=52346667
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2014/046596 WO2015009660A1 (en) | 2013-07-17 | 2014-07-15 | Sorter with double runout lanes in each bullpen and method for sorting |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20160288172A1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2916894A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2015009660A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2018017218A1 (en) * | 2016-07-18 | 2018-01-25 | Siemens Industry, Inc. | Separation of machinable parcels from non-machinable parcel stream |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
AU2018230435B2 (en) | 2017-03-08 | 2024-01-04 | Regal Beloit America, Inc. | Package sorting transfer module and systems and methods therefor |
US10532894B2 (en) | 2017-03-10 | 2020-01-14 | Regal Beloit America, Inc. | Modular transfer units, systems, and methods |
MX2020005219A (en) | 2017-11-22 | 2020-10-12 | Regal Beloit America Inc | Modular sortation units, systems, and methods. |
FR3092015B1 (en) * | 2019-01-24 | 2020-12-25 | Solystic | SORTING / HANDLING SYSTEM FOR PACKAGES WITH A CONVEYOR WITH PLATES AND GRAVITY TRANSFER UNIT |
Citations (5)
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WO1999021663A1 (en) * | 1997-10-29 | 1999-05-06 | Sandvik Aktiebolag | Apparatus and method of conveying and sorting coded articles |
US20040016684A1 (en) * | 2002-07-24 | 2004-01-29 | Braginsky Mark B. | Synchronous semi-automatic parallel sorting |
EP1695769A2 (en) * | 2001-07-06 | 2006-08-30 | AT&C Co., Ltd. | Article sorting system |
US7259345B2 (en) * | 2002-02-15 | 2007-08-21 | Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. | Method and apparatus for sorting and bundling mail |
US8025142B2 (en) * | 2005-10-20 | 2011-09-27 | Marel Meat Processing Inc. | Apparatus and method of transporting food products to a loading head |
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US3759381A (en) * | 1972-04-26 | 1973-09-18 | Systems Et Procedes Ind Mod Sa | Sorting apparatus |
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EP0827786B1 (en) * | 1996-09-09 | 2002-04-10 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Method and device for controlling an arrangement distributing articles to be sorted to physical destinations |
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FR2944270B1 (en) * | 2009-04-10 | 2013-01-25 | Pierre Jost | INSTALLATION AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING PRINTS |
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-
2014
- 2014-07-15 CA CA2916894A patent/CA2916894A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2014-07-15 WO PCT/US2014/046596 patent/WO2015009660A1/en active Application Filing
- 2014-07-15 US US14/902,393 patent/US20160288172A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (5)
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WO1999021663A1 (en) * | 1997-10-29 | 1999-05-06 | Sandvik Aktiebolag | Apparatus and method of conveying and sorting coded articles |
EP1695769A2 (en) * | 2001-07-06 | 2006-08-30 | AT&C Co., Ltd. | Article sorting system |
US7259345B2 (en) * | 2002-02-15 | 2007-08-21 | Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. | Method and apparatus for sorting and bundling mail |
US20040016684A1 (en) * | 2002-07-24 | 2004-01-29 | Braginsky Mark B. | Synchronous semi-automatic parallel sorting |
US8025142B2 (en) * | 2005-10-20 | 2011-09-27 | Marel Meat Processing Inc. | Apparatus and method of transporting food products to a loading head |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2018017218A1 (en) * | 2016-07-18 | 2018-01-25 | Siemens Industry, Inc. | Separation of machinable parcels from non-machinable parcel stream |
US9987665B2 (en) | 2016-07-18 | 2018-06-05 | Siemens Industry, Inc. | Separation of machinable parcels from non-machinable parcel stream |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20160288172A1 (en) | 2016-10-06 |
CA2916894A1 (en) | 2015-01-22 |
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